From Kabul to Kitgum: A journey of hope and resilience
On the war-torn streets of Kabul, bombed buildings stand up to remind people of the interrupted lives. The family, which includes a little boy, works hard to rebuild amid chaos. Survival is not the only battle for this boy. His biggest struggle was to get an education.
School is a fragile commitment. Sometimes, there is no classroom – only open space, with children sitting on the dirt and balancing their knees on books. Other days, the threat of violence has left them at home. When they manage to go to school, they face a shortage of teachers and materials. However, they insist on hope. Hope education can escape. Hopefully someone believes in their potential somewhere.
This belief comes from the United Nations and international organizations. These entities intervene, provide books, rebuild classrooms and, most importantly, instill beliefs that these childrenās futures are crucial. Thanks to their efforts, the boy completed high school and graduated from Kabul Medical University.
Decades later, the boy Amran Mohammad Yosuf found himself on the other side of the story and now works as a technical officer in the Uganda rural office with the World Health Organization (WHO). His work takes him to the border, from one emergency to another. It is in Kitgum, Uganda, that his past and present come together.
When you were at Kitgum last year, Yousef went to a school and the kids were sitting on the ground just like he used to. There is no desk, no proper classroom, only the children’s unwavering determination to learn. The scene shocked the chords deep in his heart. In their faces, he saw his young self: a dream boy is far greater than his situation.
This experience highlights a profound truth. Experience is not only who we are, but how we can serve others. His journey has been in full circle. He is no longer just a doctor or health professional. He was a man who once sat in the same dust, with the same desire for opportunity and knew the compassion of strangers.
He realized that empathy is crucial in global health. Data and strategies are important, but they don’t make sense if you forget the humans behind them. He learned firsthand what the receiving end of international aid is like, not statistically, but as a child, his life changed because someone cared about taking action.
That’s why organizations like who and the United Nations must continue to work. They are not only responding to crises; they are shaping the future. Yousef’s life proves this.
But this story is not only about Yusef. It’s about Kitgum, every kid in Kabul, and countless other potentially waiting to be nurtured. Their future depends on whether the world chooses to invest in them or turn.
The global community is powerless to turn. Continuing to support the United Nations and other organizations that give children a chance is crucial. Every supportive behavior is not suitable for a big deal, and it will not only change life. It creates doctors, leaders and changers who will one day stand where YouSef is today.
Because sometimes, the children investing in today will be the children who shape the world tomorrow.
Distributed by Apo Group on behalf of the World Health Organization – Uganda.
